Bone Collection: Animals

When young readers pick this up, they will feel as if they stumbled upon a scientist’s notebook. From the faux leather journal cover to the interior parchment-colored paper, and the page numbers printed atop grayed-out images of skulls, this excellent package has a distinctly vintage feel. The book first introduces bony skeletons (“without bones, we would collapse into jelly on the floor!”) and vertebrates before moving from animal to animal so that young readers can get the (literal) inside scoop on backbones. And despite the apparent differences in shape between, say, an Atlantic cod and a red kangaroo, this title makes the point that, when you come right down to it, skeletons are “surprisingly similar” between species. Each of the skeletons support a particular animal’s ability to function in the wild (seals have flexible backs that allow them to swim with ease). With labeled skeletons, photographs, additional facts “paper-clipped” onto the page, and a straightforward text—all presented scrapbook-style—this is an informative look at the bone structures of animal and human bodies. A diagram of bone names concludes. Grades 4-7. --Ann Kelley